Flatcar endgates



May 13, 1952 J. A. SCHROEDER ET AL FLATCAR ENDGATE Filed May 10, 1951 3Sheets-Sheet 1 May 13, 1952 J. A. scHRoEDER ET Al. 2,596,295

FLATCAR ENDGATE` Filed May lO, 1951 l Sheets-Shee 2 nd/mw May 13, 1952J. A.l scHRoEDER ETAL 2,596,295

FLATCAR ENDGATE led May 10, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 II II II II II IL IIII II II II I Il II TI II II II Patented May 13, 1952 UNITED :srArE-s Nsers NT ossice FLATCAR ENDGATES John A. Schroeder and Andrew W. Bower,Denver, Colo.

`Alp,plicaton,lltlay 10, 1951, Serial No.'225,586

(Cl. 105--i380) This invention relates to an Yen d gate Vfor railwayflat-cars. Loose loads, such as lumber, poles, pipe, etc., are loaded onflatcars between side stakes andthe load ris secured tothe cars withsteel straps, chains, or other tying devices. Such Aloads of-ten `shiftAlongitudinallyin transit so as to dangerously project beyond theex-tremities of the ca-1'. -It is often necessary -to re-tie such looseloads several times during transit.

The principalobject of this invention is to-providedolding-terminalbulkheads or end gates for the extremities of 4fia-tears which, whenfolded, will not interfere Ain any way with the convene tional uses -ofthe cars, but which can he raised to an elevated position to act ltoWprevent longitudinal shifting of loose loads.

Another object of the invention `is Vto so `construct the end gate thatit can be elevated to the raised positionor lowered to the out-of-useposition without requiring any special tools, ties, braces, -or `otherappurtenances.

Other objects and advantages `reside in the detail Aconstruction of `theinvention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and eiiiciency.These 4will become more apparent from the yfollowing description.

In the following Adetailed Vdescription -of the `invention, reference ishad `to Athe `accmnpanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Likenumerals refer to like parts in all views of thedrawingand throughoutthe description.

`Inthe drawings:

Fig. lisa plan View of one extremity of a rail way iiatcar of thecastbed type, showing -the invention thereon in the foldediposition;

Fig. 2 is Ya cross-section therethrough, taken on theli-ne 22, Fig. l;

Fig. Sjis a similar cross-section, taken on the 1ine33, Fig. 1;

Fig. vi is a sideview of the car extremity `of Fig. 1, illustrating theimproved end gate `in the elevated position;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail secu tion, taken on the line5 5, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a similar enlarged section, taken on thejline A6-5, Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an inside face view of `the improved end gate removed from thecar;

Fig. 8 is -a magnifiedr section, taken on the line 8-8, Fig. 1;

(Fig..9 `:is a similar section, illustrating the end gateinithe raisedposition; and

Fig. 110 is asimilar section, taken on the line Ill-I0, Fig. 1, with theend gate in the raised position.

CII

Only `one .extremity ,of Aatar L-has been .illustrated on the drawing.It -iS .to JOC understood that the other extremity thereofgis similartothe one illustrated. Thecarillustrated isof the yunitary, cast steeltype, :and consists of a steel hed I I formed with integral side girdersI2 and `center `frame trusses I3. Stake sockets t4 are ,cast along Vtheside `edges of the steel bed ,1I,I and a wooden deck I5 covers thesteelbed intermediate the car extremities. The invention, however, would -beadaptable to other types of vflat cars..

The improved, folda'ble lend gate, designated in its entirety by thenumeral Il, is positioned iat eachextremity ofthe wooden deck -I 5 andagainst raised `end `holsters I8. the end holsters I6, the uppersurfaces of fthe folded gates, and the` uppersur-face of the `deck I5all lie in the same horizontalplane.

The gates may have any suitable open .design As illustrated, each gatecomprises a plurality yof vertical and horizontal bars which denne`elongated, rectangular openings I8 in the .gate ill. The bed --II belowthe folded position ofithegate is formedwith a plurality of elongated,upwardly projecting bosses I9 which, when the ygate is folded -onto thebed II, fill the openings ,I8 to forma smooth, ush uppersurface, asshown vin Fig, 2. The sides of the bosses I9 and `thesides of theopenings I8 areinclined to facilitate .casting these members and `toprovide a wedge-like, interlockingeifect when thegate is lowered.

'The lower extremity of eachgate fis; provided with ,a plurality ofprojecting hinge Vears 2i! which t on each side of hinge pads 2l formedon the.

extremities of the `bed -I I. Hinge shafts 2 2 ,extend through the`aligned ears and Athrough vertically elongated shaft openings 23 in thepads .to ,hingedly connect the gate to the bed. The sides cf the bed IIare provided with suitable receiving openings `28 through whichtheshafts 22 `may "be passed during installation.

raised locking block 24 is formed on the bed ateach side of the hingedextremityof eachgate and adjacent the bolster ,16. 'The sides of thegates are notched, as shown at 2,5, to nt around,

the blocks 24. Each of the blocks -24is Vprovided with a.transversallyeextending 'locking -notch in tsupper face.

To elevate a gate, `the inner extremity thereof is lifted, allowing thelower edge to tilt around the end of the bed II until the gate reachesits vertical position, at Which time rthe entire gate- Willdrop`downwardly the length of theielongated openings 23, allowing thenotched side edges of the gate to drop into the locking notches 26, as

The upper surfaces of amazes shown in Fig. 9, to lock the gate in thevertical position. The inner face of each bolster I6 is cut back, asshown at 38, to allow the lower edges of the gates to swing from thevertical to the horizontal position, and vice versa.

It will be noted that when the gate is in the vertical position, thelower edge thereof throughoutV the entire width of the gate will bearagainst a bearing edge 21 at the bottom of the bolster I6 to prevent thegate from falling inwardly, andthe upper edge of the bolster will alsobear against the gate to prevent outward movement.

While the above-described looking hinge is sufficient to rigidly supportthe gate in the vertical position, if still further bracing is desired,two tie rods 29 are provided. These tie rods are normally stored invertical grooves 30 in the side members of the gate. The upper extremityof each tie rod is provided with a T-head 3| which rides in a T-shapeds1ot 32 in the gate.

A locking lug 33 projects into each slot 32 from one side of the latterand adjacent the vertical middle of the gate. The T-head 3| on the tierod can be drawn down in the s1ot 32 as indicated in the upperbroken-line position in Fig. 6, and can then be rotated around the lug33, as indicated in the lower broken-line position, to a horizontalposition below the lug, as shown in solid line in Fig. 6, to preventupward movement of the T-head. The lower extremity of each tie rod isprovided with an eye 34 which can be dropped into an eye slot 35 in theside of the bed and locked therein by means of a suitable eye bolt 36.

It can beseen that the tie rods 29 effectively brace the gates |1 frommovement in either direction. When not in use, the gates may be foldedby withdrawing the eye bolts 3B, turning the tie rods to release theT-heads 3|, sliding the T-heads upwardly in their slots 32, thenswinging the tie rods into their receiving slots 30, where they may belocked by passing the eye bolts 3| through locking openings 31 in thegate and through the eyes 34 to lock the tie rods in place.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described andillustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be Varied,within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired securedby Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a railway flatcar having indentations in its bedadjacent its extremities, comprising: end gates; and means hinging saidend gates at the extremities of said car so that they may swing from ahorizontal to a Vertical position, said end gates having openingscorresponding to the indentations in the bed so that when folded theupper surface of the gates will align with the upper surface of saidbed.

2. The combination with a railway latcar having indentations in its bedadjacent its extremities, comprising: end gates; and means hinging saidend gates at the extremities of said car so that they may swing from ahorizontal to a vertical position, said end gates having openingscorresponding to the indentations in the bed so that when folded theupper surface of the gates ,will align with the upper surface of saidbed, said end gates being vertically shiftable on their hinge means sothat they may be brought from a hinged condition to a locked conditionby vertical movement of the gate.

3. The combination with a railway fiatcar having indentations in its bedadjacent its extremities, comprising: end gates; means hinging said endgates at the extremities of said car so that they may swing from ahorizontal to a Vertical position, said end gates having openingscorresponding to the indentations in the bed so thatV when folded theupper surface of the gates will align with the upper surface of saidbed, said end gates being vertically shiftable on their hinge means sothat they may be brought' from a hinged condition to a locked conditionby vertical movement of the gate; brace rods extending from each endgate to said car, said brace rods being mounted in elongated slots inthe end gates so that they may be swung into said slots when not in use;and means for locking said rods against endwise movement in said slots.

4. The combination with a railway flatcar having identations in its bedadjacent its extremities, comprising: an end gate at each extremity ofsaid car, said gates having a thickness corresponding to the depth ofthe indentations in the bed and having openings to receive saidindentations when the gates are folded; hinge lugs formed on said gatesat their lower extremities; hinge pads projecting from said bedintermediate said lugs; and hinge shafts extending through said lugs andthrough said pads.

5. An end gate for railway ilatcars as described in claim 4 in which thepads are vertically slotted to allow vertical movement of said hingeshafts, and having an end bolster extending across said car adjacenteach gate, the adjacent gate engaging said bolster to support said gatein the vertical position. v

6. An end gate for railway flatcars as described in claim 5 having tierods extending from the gate to said car bed.

7. An end gate construction for railway flatcars comprising: a bed atthe extremity of said car, said bed being grooved to form an indentedpattern; a raised bolster-extending across the extremity of said car atthe end of said pattern, said bed terminating in spaced relation to saidbolster; hinge pads projecting from said bed toward said bolster; an endgate having an open pattern corresponding to the pattern of said bed sothat it may lie in the latter; hinge ears projecting from said gate oneach side of each of said lugs; and a hinge shaft extending through saidears and pads to hingedly secure said gate to said bed, said shaft beingvertically movable in said pads to allow said gate to be dropped to avertical position against said bolster for supporting said gate.

8. An end gate construction for railwayiiatcars as described in claim 7having notched locking blocks between said bolster and said bed at eachside of said gate to be engaged by the latter when dropped to a verticalposition against said bolster. Y l

JOHN A. sCHRoEDER. ANDREW W. BOWER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the i'lle ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS4 Tatum July '4,1933

